Hello everyone,
I would like to present the first draft of our floor plan for discussion.
It was roughly created by ourselves and then adjusted by the planner from a construction company. Overall, we really like it.
About the plot: It is a sloped lot in a new development area. To the south, the area remains undeveloped, so we have an unobstructed view.
Since we want a ground-level terrace, we will add fill, and the basement should not be partially exposed on the south side but rather on the east. Unfortunately, this was not clearly shown in the elevations. The office and guest room are correctly located in the basement on the plan.
As the office on the ground floor is too small (my wife is a teacher, and it should serve as a bedroom in older age), we considered planning an extension or bay window at the front of the house and swapping the office with the guest bathroom. This would also have the advantage that the office would have a front-facing window instead of only a dark one under the carport. (In image EG2, I tried to illustrate this using Paint 😉 )
If the roof is extended accordingly, it could be drawn further towards the center of the house, creating a covered entrance.
However, since we are already at our budget limit, the question of cost arises. Does anyone have an idea of what this might roughly cost?
What do you think? I am grateful for any suggestions.
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 767 sqm (about 8,255 sq ft)
Slope: Yes, approx. 2.5 m (8 ft) drop within the building zone
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.7
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1.5
Roof type: gable roof
Style: Classic
Orientation: SSW
Maximum heights/limits: ridge height 9 m (30 ft) above street level
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: gable roof
Basement, floors: basement, ground floor, attic
Number of occupants, age: currently 2, later 4
Office: family use or home office? Home office on ground floor (min. 14 sqm (150 sq ft), teacher, may later serve as bedroom in old age)
Number of overnight guests per year: 15–20
Open or closed architecture: rather closed
Conservative or modern style: conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island: kitchen + dining, living room separated by sliding door
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: yes
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double carport, maybe garage later if carport is too expensive
House Design
Source of the plan:
- Planner from a construction company
- Do-it-yourself (We roughly specified the plot; the construction company’s planner finalized it.)
What do we especially like?
- Attractive elevations, clear structure, symmetry
- Room layout
- Our kitchen fits in 😉
What do we not like?
- Fireplace is still missing
- Staircase is directly in the entrance area
- Office too small
- Windows on the east side are not quite right yet (since the basement will be exposed here, regular windows instead of floor-to-ceiling are preferred)
- No basement exit to outdoors yet (preferably in the southeast corner)
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: 280,000
Personal budget limit for house including fittings: ideally less than 280,000
Preferred heating system: probably air-to-water heat pump
I would like to present the first draft of our floor plan for discussion.
It was roughly created by ourselves and then adjusted by the planner from a construction company. Overall, we really like it.
About the plot: It is a sloped lot in a new development area. To the south, the area remains undeveloped, so we have an unobstructed view.
Since we want a ground-level terrace, we will add fill, and the basement should not be partially exposed on the south side but rather on the east. Unfortunately, this was not clearly shown in the elevations. The office and guest room are correctly located in the basement on the plan.
As the office on the ground floor is too small (my wife is a teacher, and it should serve as a bedroom in older age), we considered planning an extension or bay window at the front of the house and swapping the office with the guest bathroom. This would also have the advantage that the office would have a front-facing window instead of only a dark one under the carport. (In image EG2, I tried to illustrate this using Paint 😉 )
If the roof is extended accordingly, it could be drawn further towards the center of the house, creating a covered entrance.
However, since we are already at our budget limit, the question of cost arises. Does anyone have an idea of what this might roughly cost?
What do you think? I am grateful for any suggestions.
Development Plan/Restrictions
Plot size: 767 sqm (about 8,255 sq ft)
Slope: Yes, approx. 2.5 m (8 ft) drop within the building zone
Site coverage ratio: 0.4
Floor area ratio: 0.7
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 1.5
Roof type: gable roof
Style: Classic
Orientation: SSW
Maximum heights/limits: ridge height 9 m (30 ft) above street level
Owners’ Requirements
Style, roof type, building type: gable roof
Basement, floors: basement, ground floor, attic
Number of occupants, age: currently 2, later 4
Office: family use or home office? Home office on ground floor (min. 14 sqm (150 sq ft), teacher, may later serve as bedroom in old age)
Number of overnight guests per year: 15–20
Open or closed architecture: rather closed
Conservative or modern style: conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island: kitchen + dining, living room separated by sliding door
Number of dining seats: 6
Fireplace: yes
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: double carport, maybe garage later if carport is too expensive
House Design
Source of the plan:
- Planner from a construction company
- Do-it-yourself (We roughly specified the plot; the construction company’s planner finalized it.)
What do we especially like?
- Attractive elevations, clear structure, symmetry
- Room layout
- Our kitchen fits in 😉
What do we not like?
- Fireplace is still missing
- Staircase is directly in the entrance area
- Office too small
- Windows on the east side are not quite right yet (since the basement will be exposed here, regular windows instead of floor-to-ceiling are preferred)
- No basement exit to outdoors yet (preferably in the southeast corner)
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: 280,000
Personal budget limit for house including fittings: ideally less than 280,000
Preferred heating system: probably air-to-water heat pump
I would swap the WC and the study, regardless of whether you decide to extend the front part or not. The carport blocks a lot of light from the study, and having the WC, entrance, and staircase so close together could create a bottleneck.
The entrance area might feel a bit tight.
A hallway upstairs without natural light isn’t ideal either. Why not add a skylight above the stairs?
As the WC is currently planned within the bathroom, it might cause headaches from time to time.
If you’re planning a guest room in the basement, I would also consider adding a small guest WC, possibly with a shower. That way, a teenager could move down to the basement later if they want ;-)
Have you considered mirroring the floor plan? I find the carport on the kitchen side very practical. Then you could fit a lock on the terrace door and bring groceries straight in there.
The entrance area might feel a bit tight.
A hallway upstairs without natural light isn’t ideal either. Why not add a skylight above the stairs?
As the WC is currently planned within the bathroom, it might cause headaches from time to time.
If you’re planning a guest room in the basement, I would also consider adding a small guest WC, possibly with a shower. That way, a teenager could move down to the basement later if they want ;-)
Have you considered mirroring the floor plan? I find the carport on the kitchen side very practical. Then you could fit a lock on the terrace door and bring groceries straight in there.
Thank you for your feedback!
Yes, we will swap them anyway.
Is it tight because of the guest WC and stairs opposite, or tight in general?
Good idea. Thanks! 🙂
There will also be a skylight above the bathtub.
Good point, I will address that.
We briefly considered at least preparing the plumbing there so we could retrofit it later. For now, it was removed for cost reasons.
We haven’t thought about that yet, but we will consider it. Thanks.
Manu1976 schrieb:
I would swap the WC and the office, regardless of whether you extend the front a bit or not. The carport blocks a lot of natural light from the office, and having the WC, entrance, and stairs so close together might create a bottleneck.
Yes, we will swap them anyway.
The entrance area might be a bit tight.
Is it tight because of the guest WC and stairs opposite, or tight in general?
A corridor upstairs without natural daylight is not ideal. Why not add a skylight above the stairs?
Good idea. Thanks! 🙂
There will also be a skylight above the bathtub.
As the WC is currently shown in the bathroom, it could cause frequent headaches.
Good point, I will address that.
If a guest room is planned in the basement, I would also consider adding a small guest WC, possibly with a shower. That way, the teenager could move to the basement later if they want ;-)
We briefly considered at least preparing the plumbing there so we could retrofit it later. For now, it was removed for cost reasons.
Have you thought about mirroring the floor plan? I find the carport on the kitchen side quite practical. Then you could lock the terrace door and bring groceries straight in through there.
We haven’t thought about that yet, but we will consider it. Thanks.
I quite like the ground floor layout!
In my opinion, the hallway on the upper floor is rather narrow, especially because there are no windows, so it will likely be quite dark.
I think a price of 280,000 for 3 floors plus office conversion is quite ambitious. Should the additional construction costs already be included in that?
In my opinion, the hallway on the upper floor is rather narrow, especially because there are no windows, so it will likely be quite dark.
I think a price of 280,000 for 3 floors plus office conversion is quite ambitious. Should the additional construction costs already be included in that?
Why 3 floors + office?
Basement (including two finished rooms)
Ground floor
Top floor
Without additional construction costs. Pure house construction price.
A building expert once estimated a three-gable house including a usable basement of the same size at €274,000 (approximately $295,000) in one of my threads a few months ago. Therefore, I find €280,000 (approximately $301,000), without the third gable but with two finished rooms in the basement, reasonable.
Basement (including two finished rooms)
Ground floor
Top floor
Without additional construction costs. Pure house construction price.
A building expert once estimated a three-gable house including a usable basement of the same size at €274,000 (approximately $295,000) in one of my threads a few months ago. Therefore, I find €280,000 (approximately $301,000), without the third gable but with two finished rooms in the basement, reasonable.
B
Bauexperte9 Nov 2015 23:49Good evening,
With your 280,000€ for the house including the utility basement in the turnkey variant (excluding painting and floor coverings), like the carport, I believe you will be close. Finishing the basement will be more costly than adding a third gable if it is to be designed as living space from the start.
For this, the clear height of the basement should be increased to 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in) (standard utility basements have a raw construction height of 2.30 m (7 ft 7 in)). Then the basement insulation must be upgraded, to a good 120 mm (4.7 inches). The basement rooms should also have level floors, even if you only intend to use two rooms as living space. Plus, two emergency-exit windows, underfloor heating, plus any additional costs resulting from a soil survey... quite a bit will come up.
Alternatively, you can "only" purchase the basement height increase, the insulation, the living space windows (keep escape routes in mind!), two low-temperature radiators, and the screed; then have the necessary heating and electrical connections in the "work" room installed flush with the wall. This will cost approximately 13,000 to 15,000€ depending on any measures resulting from the soil survey. With this option, you must ensure that the air-to-water heat pump can cover the heating demand for the basement.
Since the technical equipment is planned for the basement, the utility room must also be additionally insulated, if it remains a pure utility basement.
Best regards, Bauexperte
m_l_r_s schrieb:Converting a basement into living space is quite different and much more expensive than simply adding a third gable at ground level 😉
Bauexperte once estimated a three-gable house including a utility basement of the same size at 274,000€ a few months ago in one of my threads. Therefore, I think 280,000€, without the third gable but with two finished rooms in the basement, is okay.
With your 280,000€ for the house including the utility basement in the turnkey variant (excluding painting and floor coverings), like the carport, I believe you will be close. Finishing the basement will be more costly than adding a third gable if it is to be designed as living space from the start.
For this, the clear height of the basement should be increased to 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in) (standard utility basements have a raw construction height of 2.30 m (7 ft 7 in)). Then the basement insulation must be upgraded, to a good 120 mm (4.7 inches). The basement rooms should also have level floors, even if you only intend to use two rooms as living space. Plus, two emergency-exit windows, underfloor heating, plus any additional costs resulting from a soil survey... quite a bit will come up.
Alternatively, you can "only" purchase the basement height increase, the insulation, the living space windows (keep escape routes in mind!), two low-temperature radiators, and the screed; then have the necessary heating and electrical connections in the "work" room installed flush with the wall. This will cost approximately 13,000 to 15,000€ depending on any measures resulting from the soil survey. With this option, you must ensure that the air-to-water heat pump can cover the heating demand for the basement.
Since the technical equipment is planned for the basement, the utility room must also be additionally insulated, if it remains a pure utility basement.
Best regards, Bauexperte
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